Locking joint for folding jack handles



F. KRENZKE LOCKING JOINT- FOR FOLDINGJACK HANDLES I Filed June .15 92 V Ill/10mm lllll/II/I/l/ Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM F. KRENZKE, F 'RACINE, WISCONSIN, .ASSIGNOR TO WALKER MANUFACTUR- INGr COMPANY, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN LOOKING JOINT FOR FOLDING JACK HANDLES Application filed June 15, 1928. Serial No. 285,635.

This invention relates to new and useful improvementsin a folding handle for a lifting jack. The handle is of a sufiicient length when extended to reach from the jack when in position under the car to any convenient position beyond the end of the car, or other load that is being lifted by the jack. When folded, as hereinafter described, the handle assembly is relatively short and may be easily carried within the confines of a tool box. The

constituent parts of the handle are never entirely disconnected so that there is no danger of ortions thereof being lost or misplaced. ne object of the invention is to provide a new and improved pivotal connection or hinge, including a releasable spring-actuated latch whereby the sections of the handle may be held in alignment, or the hinge connections may be broken to swing adjacent sections of the handle into substantially parallel relation withone another.

Another object is to provide a new and improved relation of handle sections and pivotal connections therefore so that the handle may be folded to occupy a minimum of space.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description of certain approved forms of the mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is 'an elevation of the handle in extended position ready for use and applied to a lifting jack, portions of the handle sec- .tions being broken away. I

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the handle folded into compact form for storage.

. 3 is a vertical section through one of the hinge connections, showing the preferred form of latch mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

,Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the latch member shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective viewof the spring used in Figs. 3 and 4.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing a modified form of latch mechanism.

' The invention relates particularly to a handle adapted to impart continuous rotation in all one direction or the other to the driving shaft of a lifting jack of the type shown for example in Fig. 1. Such a jack comprises a standard 1, a plurality of screws 2 for lifting the load which rests upon the head 3, a combined beveled gear and nut 4C for lifting thescrews, a driving pinion 5 meshing with gear 4, and a rotatable shaft 6 on which pinion 5 is mounted. The handle is adapted to removably engage the shaft 6 in any suitable manner, the end of shaft 6 usually beingprovided with a socket in which a noncircular end or head 7 at one end of the handle engages.

The improvedhandle consists of a plurality of .pivotally connected rigid sections A,

'B C and D. The head 7 for engaging the lifting jack is formed or connected at one end of section D. The sections B, 'C and D, when m alignment as shown in Fig. 1, constitute a shaft portion which is practically an extension of the driving shaft 6 of the lifting jack. The section B is provided at one end with a right angled extension 8, and the section A is provided with a similar right angled extension 9, the extensions 8 and 9 when in alignment as shown in Fig. 1 conconstruction of the hinge connections will be I hereinafter described in detail, but it should here'be noted that these hinge connections are so positioned in the handle that they break alternately to opposite sides of the handle from one end thereof to the other. That is,

the two end hinges H and H break downwardly, whereas the intermediate hinge connection H breaks upwardly, all as shown in Fig. 1. It will be apparent that the number of hinge connections in the shaft portion of the handle could be multipliedasfound necessary, it only be essentialthat the hinge connections break alternately to opposite sides of the handle. It will be noted from Fig. 2 that the sections B, C and D can be folded into parallel positions quite close to one another. By placing the hinge connection H in the crank arm formed by members 8 and 9, the member A may be swung into such a position that the elbow 10 engages against the member B, and the two sections ofmember A project diagonally in oppositedirections so as to occupy a minimum of space within the tool box.

In Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 is disclosed more in detail the preferred construction of one'of the hinge connections H, for example the connection H A pair of cooperating hinge members 11 and 12 are rigidly connected to or formed on the adjacent ends of the rod members 9 and 8. As here shown, each of these hinge members 11 and 12 is stamped out of sheet metal and comprises a cylindrical end portion 13 which fits about the'adjacent'end of the handle member and is secured thereto by a rivet 14;. The hinge member 11 is bent to form an upper wall 15, a pair of parallel side walls 16, and hinge ears 17 projecting downwardly and forwardly from the side walls 16. Similarly, the hinge member 12 comprises a top wall 18, side walls 19, and hinge ears 20, the ears .20 being stepped outwardly to fit about the ears 17. A hinge pin 21 is passed through mating hinge openings in the several ears 17 and 20. The free ends'22 of the top sections 15 and 18 of the hinge members engage against one another toform stops when the handle sections are swung into alignment as shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4- and 7. The top section 15 is formed with an opening 23'and the top section 18 is formed with an opening 24.

The latch member 25 (shown in perspective in Fig. 5) is housed within the hollow hinge members 11 and 12. Latch member 25 is formed with a downwardly extending vertical slot 26 adapted toslidably receive the hinge pin 21, and with anupwardly extending finger 27 adapted to slide in the opening 23 in memberll. A hook or latch projection 28 is adaptedto engage in the opening 24 in member 12, the hook having a beveled forward face 29. Member 25 is also formed with alpair of oppositely extending studs 30 on the rear portion thereof, and a downwardly extending shoulder 31 on the front portion. A wire spring 32 (shown in perspective in Fig. 6) is looped atone end 33 to engage under the shoulder 31, has a pair of intermediate loops 34 adapted to engage under the studs 30, and has a pair of hooks 35 at the other end adapted to engage over the pivot pin 21. When this spring is snapped into position as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, it

will be placed under compression so as to urge the latch member 25 upwardly away from the fixed pivot pin 21.

By pressing down on finger 27, the spring 32 will be compressed until the hook 28 is released from opening 24;, whereupon the hinge connection may be broken and the handle members swung to the folded position shown in Fig. 2. When the members are again swung into alignment, the stop 22 at the end of member 12 will engage the beveled surface 29 on the latch member and depress same until hook 28- can snap into the opening 24. At this time the stop members 22' on the two sections 11 and 12 will be in engagement with one another and the two handle sections will be held firmly in alignment as indicated in Fig. 3. r

In the modification shown in ig, 7, the studs 30 and shoulder 31 are omitted from latch member 25, and in lieu thereof a pair of oppositely projecting studs 36am positioned near the top of this member intermediate the finger 27 and hook 28. A pair of similar wire springs 37, having upper hooked ends 38 to engage the studs 36, and lower hooked ends 39 to engage the pin 21, are pos tioned one at either side of the latch member. The operation of this form of the device is substantially the same as with the form first described, The pair of springs 3'7 just described may be connected asa singlespring by a loop member extending beneath the pivot pin 21, as shown in Fig. 7. 7

It will now be apparent that the several sections of ja'ck handle are never completely disconnected from one another so that there is no danger of parts being lost or misplaced.

The several parts will remain rigidly in'alignment, as shown in Fig. 1, until the several hinge connections H H and H are'releas'ed by depressingthe several fingers 27, where upon the sections are easily folded into the positions shown in Fig. 2. When the sections are again swung into alignment, the hinge members automatically latch, so that no manual locking operation is necessary.

Rotatable hand grips 40 and 41' may be mounted on the handle A, and on the'section B adjacent the extension 8.

I claim:

.1. In a folding jack handle, alpair of rod sections, a pair of hollow hinge members, one rigidly connected to the end of each rod section, pairs of overlapping ears at one'side of the members, a pin pivotally connecting these ears, each member being formed at the opposite side thereof with astop surface adapted to engage a similar surface on the other hinge member'when the sections are in alignment, and also formed withan' opening, a latch member movably housed Within the sections, the latch being formed with "a slot slidably engaging the pivot .pin, with a finger slidable inthe opening in one member, and with a hook adapted to engage the opening in the other member when the 'sectionsare in alignment, and a spring yieldably urging the hook into this opening. I

2. In a folding jack handle, a pair of rod sections, a pair of hollow hinge members, one rigidly connected to the end of each rod section, pairs of overlapping ears at one side of the members, a pin pivotally connecting these ears, each member being formed at the opposite side thereof with a stop surface adapted to engage a similar surface on the other hinge member when the sections are in alignment, and also formed with an opening, a latch member movably housed within the sections, the latch being formed with a slot slidably engaging the pivot pin, with a finger slidable in the opening in one member, and with a hook adapted to engage the opening in the other member when the sections are in alignment, and a spring confined between the pin and a portion of the latch member for urging the hook into the opening.

3. In a folding jack handle, a pair of rod sections, a pair of hollow hinge members, each hinge member comprising an end portion shaped to engage and be rigidly secured to the end of one of the rod sections, the proj ecting portion of the member comprising an upper wall, a pair of similar spaced side walls, and a hinge ear projecting forwardly and downwardly from each side wall, the hinge earson one member being spaced to overlap the ears on the other member, a hinge pin passed through the several ears to pivotally connect the hinge members, the edge of the upper wall on each member engaging the similar surface on the other member when the sections are in alignment, there being an opening formed in the upper wall of each member, a latch member housed within the hinge members, said latch member being formed with a vertical slot adapted to receive the hinge pin, with an upwardly projecting finger adapted to slide in the upper opening in one hinge member, and with an upwardly projecting latch hook adapted to engagethe opening in the other hinge member and a spring confined between the hinge pm and latch member to urge the latch upwardly.

WILLIAM F. KRENZKE. 

